


Field of Sunlight

by littlereadingetsor



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 09:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlereadingetsor/pseuds/littlereadingetsor
Summary: He always comes back, and by the warmth of the sun he wishes he would never go.





	Field of Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> In some other life, Hide feels a sense of familiarity and longing. In this world, his face is hidden behind bags and taxed with crop care, giving him the life of "Scarecrow". But there's a sweet boy who always comes by to enjoy the sunflowers. Maybe scarecrows really ARE scary, but in this case there's something else blooming between the two.

Light poured through the spaces of billions of petals. Yellow. Lively. Sweet and warm with life. That was where they stood. On this day, like many days before, the tall sunflowers stretched on for over a mile. Their blooms were glowing, and yet none could compare to the unwavering smile upon the lips of Ken Kaneki.

Faultless, he was much more radiant than the world around the lone boy in the field: the one they called Scarecrow. The young man, sprinkled with stray strands of straw, remained firmly grounded on his feet – feeling as fake as usual – facing the raven-haired boy.

Scarecrow wondered whilst observing him, _“Am I myself even alive enough to be anything like this one?”_  Would he ever, could he ever, matter or shine as bright as this one person?

Between the seconds as Ken grinned – snuggling the tip of his nose against the center of a single sunflower – the golden beams of the field gleamed against his eyes. Did he see him? Had he noticed the Scarecrow looming, casting his ominous presence? Perhaps the boy found him scary. Ugly, even. It was his purpose after-all.

Despite that purpose, however unpleasant it may have been, he cherished suddenly the joyful thought that Ken would someday return. He would continue returning just like in the seasons before. Scarecrow felt a stinging within his ribs…

_“I’m standing right here,”_  he thought. _“Do you see me?”_

Ken tipped back his sunhat and rolled up both his sleeves. He tilted his head back just enough to let the sky’s rays wash over his face and took in a deep, refreshing breath.

_“…Will you ever hear me?”_

Alone, Scarecrow knew nothing but resentment. All his efforts left him an unfulfilling way of life. It could barely be called living.

The awkward boy teased himself with an inward joke. _“He does a better job ignoring me than the birds do.”_ He almost laughed aloud at that one. Something different from the mundane sensations began to shift; something that might have almost been happiness. _“But gosh, he sure is pretty though.”_

Scarecrows were meant to frighten – silent and only good for being present. What a damning existence that was.

“Kaneki…”

He’d come here so many times to this exact place. He came with books and blankets. He came with coffee and cameras. What for? Surely he hadn’t come for the vile figure who stunk of dirt and hay. Sometimes, almost angrily did the field worker wonder, why the tender boy did return. Yes, the view was nice. Lovely maybe. His own self was no vibrant edition in any sense.

And yet so kindly did Kaneki’s gaze pass over him. With feeling did his big wonderous eyes look. He’d cover his mouth, blushing across his cheeks and turn away shyly. Was he embarrassed? Had he startled him? Thinking about it, the Scarecrow boy remembered the reason for his being among the sunflower farm.

But…

Just for this one; for this one person he wished he wasn’t frightening.

“Please… don’t be… afraid,” he would whisper when Ken left the field on the backseat of a bicycle alongside a girl. The familiar young lady would smack Ken a few times first, to which he detested. Bashfully, Kaneki would take a seat then vanish down the road with her. Along the months of summer Scarecrow anticipated his return. Every single day. Awaiting that bike and the shouts of the girl who brought him there. That feeling so much like happiness was spreading...

The days rarely let Scarecrow down. And ever beautifully did Kaneki grow in those days. To him, Ken was much more remarkable than the simple flowers he admired. Never apart from the field and accustomed to the consistency of its care, the Scarecrow found himself admiring the boy with deep interest instead in the hours of his visits. He watched distantly, managing to forget his baleful stature, just to enjoy the pleasant time together they had to share.

_“Maybe,”_ he told himself, _“I am not a distraction. I wish I new for sure, but as long as I am here, he will not be harmed. He will be safe in my fields.”_

A special place for Kaneki to be safe. That sounded just about right. It could easily be perfect.

“Stay here,” he mouthed under his sack mask. “It’s… a better place… with you here.”

On any lucky day, the Japanese student would wave in Scarecrow’s direction. A simple nod would be just fine for that. But today was different.

Kaneki was coming close, walking right towards him. Deliberately! At the edge of the road, the Scarecrow could see the bicycle parked against the streetlight on the corner. Kaneki should have been leaving right about then (not that he wanted him to). What was he doing?

“Kaneki!” the girl’s voice hollered from the far-off sidewalk.

“Coming, Touka!” he answered barely above a shout. “One moment!”

Scarecrow straightened his back. He’d been planting seeds and tending to the weeds to appear occupied. At least that way his staring wasn’t obvious, but he was getting nervous. Had he done something wrong?

He faced Kaneki as he slowed his steps right before him. He reached forward with his pale hand, cautiously so. The Scarecrow lowered his head to follow the motion. His drawn-on face did little to show his true curious expression.

With careful fingertips, Kaneki slid a small piece of paper into the slip of Scarecrow’s clothes. The paper, folded into the shape of a flower, was colored raspberry and partially crumpled.

Scarecrow raised his head back up to the boy.

“Thank you,” Kaneki said his first words to him, “for taking care of this place. It wouldn’t be this beautiful without you.”

Scarecrow’s face on the surface remained unchanged. Kaneki hesitated for a blessed moment, his face sincere up close and so near, until he turned to the call of Touka’s second warning. His feet softened the soil as he broke into a sprint. His run was so cute and clumsy.

“If only… I could run… after you…” a coarse breath left Scarecrow’s throat. It remained, just like him: muffled and unheard. “What’s out there… in that big… open world of yours?”

For a moment, he stuck out his arm, extending his tense fingers in Ken’s direction.

“You? Thanking… me?” He giggled. “Beautiful…”

A smile formed beneath Scarecrow’s bag. _It_ may have been hidden, but nothing could camouflage the throbbing of his heartbeat.

The Scarecrow boy lowered his hand. Finally for a change, he was content with where he stood, aware of how real he was for the first time in a long time.

Then there was hope. A hope much greater than any of the days before. Wide and endless. Even as that day faded into night and the rain came swaying with wind. Because of people like him, life underneath the façade of “Scarecrow” was bearable.

Because of Kaneki, he felt he belonged somewhere to play a role that mattered.

And it was good enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always seen Hide - in terms of existing in Kaneki's life - as a protector. I imagined this alternate world where they would have just been normal people, but this picture of Scarecrow was ever looming with me. So what if: there was something he was concealing about his face that forced him to stand in the background of Ken's life in some other way? 
> 
> Here we go. Definitely want to write more so look out.


End file.
